CLICK HEADINGS FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION

A DRONE NO FLY ZONE AIR SHOW

This is a large scale event in a relatively small seaside town, we strongly recommend visitors use public transport to travel to Herne Bay on Saturday 15th August.

Air Shows are very popular, attracting many thousands of visitors, please be aware that there is a severe risk of being caught in very heavy traffic for those that use their vehicles to travel.

We have made special arrangements with Stagecoach South East and Southeastern Railway, who have disabled and wheelchair access on their buses and trains. Services will be strengthened on the day of the Air Show.

Stagecoach buses will drop visitors within 100 metres of the central seafront area and there are regular inexpensive bus services from Herne Bay train station that will take you to the heart of the action in three minutes or so. The sea front is a 10 minute walk from the train station.

Don’t get caught in traffic – use public transport on Sat 15th August.

We want everyone to have a great time on the day, but sometimes children can become separated from adults. Below are a few simple rules and pieces of information to avoid getting separated and what to do if it happens:

You may wish to write your mobile contact number on your child’s arm or wrist, telling them not to rub it off under any circumstances. This may help with quick contact, should they become separated.

There are four Lost Children points indicated by large 4.5 metre flags along the seafront ( please see site map). At these points are DBS checked event staff, who will know the appropriate procedures required to deal with any lost children and reunite them with their parents/carers. Please draw your child’s attention to these points on arrival.

At air events, most instances of children becoming separated from their parents happens during the flying display elements when everyone looks up! When aircraft arrive to display, please ensure your children are with you.

If a lost child has not been claimed by a parent, relative, or carer within 30 minutes of being found by a staff member, the police will be called.

Please listen for announcements on the PA system running the length of the main display area. If you cannot find your child, contact an event steward who will require a full description of your child to assist you.

Please do not bring glass or glass bottles to the seafront. Please use plastic containers and/or plastic cups for drinks, taking any rubbish home with you wherever possible. We have a beautiful seafront and we’d like to keep it that way if possible.

For people arriving at the beach early: Please note that high tide is at around 2.30pm on Saturday, so while a spot near the water’s edge may seem a good idea at 10am, you’ll quickly realise by midday it wasn’t such a good idea after all, and may find it difficult to find a space behind you. We recommend positioning yourselves fairly close to the high water mark on the beach if arriving early to avoid this problem.

There are four first aid points located along the central display area (see site map) indicated by 4.5 metre flags (as per lost children flags). If you or someone you are with suffers an injury or is feeling unwell, please notify an event steward who will, in turn arrange for medical assistance.

Please check expected weather conditions before travelling, bringing appropriate suncream and fluids with you if warm temperatures are expected. There will be many outlets along the seafront area also selling drinks to keep you hydrated throughout the day.

Please use the beach areas to the east and west of the main display area. Performances of many of the aircraft attending, such as The Red Arrows, Eurofighter Typhoon and Vulcan Bomber can be enjoyed from a very wide angle, away from the busier areas.

Listen for safety announcements from the PA system located along the main seafront area, and follow safety advice given by event stewards or security.

Please do not bring glass bottles or glasses to the event, and please help keep our beautiful seafront tidy by using bins provided.

If choosing to swim, please stay within 20 metres of the shore well away from the aircraft display line. Particular care should be taken if using inflatable boats or toys. Security and safety boats will be patrolling the coastline on this date.

Both launch ramps at Neptune trailer car park will be CLOSED to boats and trailers for launch and recovery for 48 hours from 6pm on Friday 14th August through to midnight on Sat 15th August. DO NOT leave your trailer in either of these car parks during these periods as they will be removed. Boats and other watercraft can be launched from the ramp at Hampton or from Whitstable.

If you plan to watch the display from your boat, you will need to position it in line with the old pier head to the north and not inside the line broadly out from The Ship Inn, on Central Parade to the east, and Heron Angling Club (Red Shelter on Hampton Slopes) to the west.

The display of RAF and other aerial display teams will be delayed/and/or cancelled if watercraft users ingore the above advice.

Boat and other watercraft users should pay particular attention to the attached map showing the offshore area that must be kept clear of all watercraft from 12pm until 5.30pm Saturday 15th August. Encroachment into this area during this period may result in delay and/or cancellation of RAF and civilian aerial display teams. Boat and other watercraft users wishing to view the display offshore should align themselves with the old pier head in an east/west orientation.

A road closure will be in place along Central Parade from Lane End to The Divers Arms from 12am Sat 15th August until 9pm the same day. There will therefore be no vehicle access to Central Parade from: Lane End, Western Esplanade, Pier Avenue, Station Road, Dolphin Street, or Richmond Street. Traffic heading west along Central Parade will be diverted to Market Street exiting via Mortimer Street and William Street. Diversions will be in place. All vehicles MUST be removed from Central Parade on-street parking bays within this area by midnight Friday 14th August. Parking permit holders are requested to park their vehicles on nearby side roads on this date.

Neptune Car Park and Trailer Car Parks are closed on Saturday 15th August, and both watercraft launching ramps at this location cannot be used from 6pm Friday 14th August until midnight Sat 15th August. Launching facilities are available at Hampton for those wishing to use their watercraft on Sat 15th August. All vehicles within Neptune Car Park MUST be removed by midnight Friday 14th August.

We have 5,000 souvenir brochures and are expecting them to fly off the shelves.

Priced at £5, the guide includes full details of all the displays and timings on Saturday, August 15, a large, informative site map showing details of all the on-the-ground attractions, a double-page Red Arrows spread featuring the pilots who will be performing and information about the huge number of aircraft that will be taking to the skies.

There are also features on Amy Johnson, the record-breaking pilot who died in mysterious circumstances when her plane crashed into the sea off Herne Bay, and interviews with two female pilots following in her footsteps.

Full details are available in the programme, available from:

Kids Korner, Mortimer Street

The Activity Box, William Street,

A Bundle of Books, Bank Street

MaKCari’s, Bandstand, Central Parade

The Kings Hall, Beacon Hill

Peter’s Produce, William Street

Morrisons, Beach Street

Vintage Empire, High Street

Tesco Express, Canterbury Road

Spearings, Mortimer Street

Pier Trust Office, Herne Bay Pier

Cain’s Amusements, Central Parade

Clock Tower Information Centre, Central Parade

Heron Angling Society, Central Parade

Coffee Lab, Mortimer Street

Pebble and Dash, Mortimer Street

The Pier, 16-18 Richmond Street

Digital Souvenir Programme

Download today!

Download our digital souvenir guide, it costs £5, which helps us put the event on. Enjoy the digital version with the full event guide, all-important aircraft timings, plus much more.

Take a look at what’s in the sky so far…

With a trademark combination of close formations and precision flying, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, has been displaying since 1965. One of the premier aerobatic teams in the world, the Red Arrows are the public face of the Royal Air Force and are ambassadors for the United Kingdom.

Tracey Curtis-Taylor will perform a thrilling low level fly past in her beautiful Boeing Stearman, The Spirit of Artemis. Tracey has an adventurous history. Her most recent expedition saw her complete an epic open cockpit flight in a vintage Boeing Stearman from Cape Town back to the UK

Anyone who has seen a Turb Team display will tell you that the stars of the show are our diminutive D31 Turbulents – characterful single-seaters which, though French by design, are very much English by adoption.

With a mix of low-level formation, flour-bombing, balloon-bursting and limbo-flying, The Turb Team are virtually unique on the airshow circuit today.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) was formed on July 11th 1957 and has become a house hold name almost everywhere in the UK. Our display will be Showcasing the Spitfire and Hurricane. Sadly the Lancaster is being repaired and now won’t be displaying. We’re hoping to bring you a replacement display!

We’re also pleased to welcome the 3-strong Team Spirit RV Formation Team. A civilian display team that actually built the aircraft themselves, expect high energy turns and swoops from a team that’ll be launching from nearby Maypole air strip!

The Typhoon Display is flown by 29 (Reserve) Squadron from RAF Coningsby. It showcases the incredible performance of the aircraft and also demonstrates the dedication, professionalism and excellence of the RAF personnel who fly, maintain and support Typhoon operations in the UK and across the world.

One of Europe’s largest display teams, a whopping ten replica aircraft featuring British Sopwith triplanes, German Fokker DR1 aircraft, Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a and BE2c’s and German CL1 Junkers will all take to the skies simultaneously along Herne Bay seafront reenacting some of the dramatic dogfights that took place in years gone by.

Lauren Richardson, aged just 27, has already become one of the UK’s top female aerobatic pilots, and Lauren will be demonstrating her amazing aerobatic skills in her beautiful and iconic modified Pitts Special aerobatic biplane on Sat 15th Aug.

The BBMF Lancaster suffered an engine fire in May which means it now won’t be back in the air in time for our airshow, however, we have managed to secure the services of the Strikemaster UK jet aircraft which will be zooming along our seafront along with an already fantastic line-up!

The North American Aviation Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s for counter insurgency (COIN) combat. One of its primary missions was as a forward air control (FAC) aircraft in the Vietnam War. A great display aircraft, we’re sure crowds will be impressed with this performance.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Vampire, Gnat Display Team and Lancaster will not be displaying.

Full flying times available in the optional souvenir programme, available online or on the day.

…and on the ground attractions!

Sponsored by Canterbury City Council

The War and Peace Battle of Britain Experience commemorates the extraordinary lives of those who braved this infamous 16-week battle during the summer and autumn of 1940. It is an incredible means to not only learn about this crucial event, but also understand its significance in the context of WW2 itself and ensure the brave men and women involved are never forgotten.

With three full size replica aircraft: a Spitfire, Hurricane and Me 109, aircraft that played a quintessential part in the battle for air supremacy during The Battle of Britain, along with an educational Exhibition trailer, displayed along Herne Bay seafront, young and old alike can enjoy and learn from the experience.

This is a local flying scholarship looking for the next generation of Red Arrow pilots. They have key links with the Red Arrows with the flying school, TG Aviation, having trained no less than four pilots who went on to fly for the Red Arrows, including the current Red 10, Mike Ling, who will join us on the 15th to do the commentary for the Reds. They will also be selling raffle tickets for a flight in their Boeing Stearman, the same plane Tracey Curtis-Taylor is flying to Australia in Amy’s name in October this year.

Amy Johnson, British aviator, c 1930s.

The Amy Johnson Herne Bay Project team will be on hand, including Project Manager Jane Priston along with Rick Welton from the Amy Johnson Festival and other members of the team.

We will be selling signed copies of the biography written by Midge Gillies ‘Amy Johnson Queen of the Air’. Priced at £9.99 and £3 from each sale will be donated to the bronze statue fund.

The fine art production studio and bronze casting foundry that will be making the full size bronze statue of Amy Johnson to be unveiled in 2016 marking the 75th anniversary of Amy’s untimely death.

The dive team working with the Amy Johnson Herne Bay Project searching for the wreckage of the plane Amy was flying when she crashed and died off the shores of Herne Bay.

A registered charity founded in 1993 offering disabled people, without exception, the opportunity to fly an aeroplane.

Owned by Amy Johnson and Jim Mollison that was in Herne Bay for many years – we are still researching this fascinating link.